as in blushing
to develop a rosy facial color (as from excitement or embarrassment)
his face reddened when she flashed him a dazzling smile
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Recent Examples of reddening
Warning signs include yellowing within a week of infestation, purpling or reddening of leaves, stunting despite adequate moisture, weakening root systems and patchy areas of thinning or dead grass.
—
Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Angine desperately returns to the store, again and again, to get her fix from Malaise, her face reddening from blood just below the surface, a canvas of her awakened desire.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
The front lawn falls steeply away from the house and on down to the fence, a garden overgrown with reddening watsonias.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Visible light has been shown to trigger erythema, or skin reddening, in lighter skin.
—Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 23 Aug. 2025
Christina Shaw, FOXNews.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Angine desperately returns to the store, again and again, to get her fix from Malaise, her face reddening from blood just below the surface, a canvas of her awakened desire.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2025
The front lawn falls steeply away from the house and on down to the fence, a garden overgrown with reddening watsonias.
—Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Visible light has been shown to trigger erythema, or skin reddening, in lighter skin.
—Andrea Muraskin, NPR, 23 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reddening
Verb
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Still, there is one explicit scene in the erotic dramedy that ended up getting shortened — but not to spare blushing audiences.—
Mike Miller,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
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Weaving reprises Grace MacCaullay, the blushing bride who was forced to lay waste to her wealthy new in-laws during their sadistic rendition of hide-and-seek.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The bathroom itself has a shower, a vanity sink, and a flushing toilet.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
9 Feb. 2026
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Pour half a cup of bleach into the toilet bowl, scrub with a toilet brush, and close the lid to allow the bleach to sit for a couple of minutes before flushing to rinse off the bleach.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jennifer Grey is glowing on a girls’ getaway.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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During this dramatic event, the moon will slide in front of the sun but won't cover it completely, leaving a glowing 'ring of fire' around the edges.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reddening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reddening. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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